Cancer remains among the leading causes of death in the United States and around the world. Various forms of cancer are differentially treated, depending in part on the location of a tumor. One particularly difficult group of tumors to treat includes those that reside in and near the brain. Treatment of brain tumors presents a number of problems, not the least of which being the dangers inherent in any surgical procedure involving regions of the brain and the tissue located nearby. There is little room for error and the consequences of even a minor surgical mishap can be devastating to a patient; brain damage, or even death may result. Still, where possible, surgery remains the preferred method of treatment for most brain tumors and is often performed in conjunction with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, even commonly referenced medical authority suggests that patients with brain tumors be referred to centers specializing in investigative therapies; an indication that conventional modes of treatment are not overwhelmingly successful.
Glioblastoma multiforme (“GBM”) and anaplastic astrocytomas are classified in the category of brain tumors commonly known as malignant gliomas. Although not particularly common tumors themselves, they represent a class of tumors associated with significant rates of mortality and morbidity. Current treatment for malignant glioma consists of surgical resection followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, this treatment generally fails in substantially changing the outcome for a patient; median survival remains less than one year even with medical intervention.
There remains a significant need in the art for improved methods for the treatment of cancer, and, in particular, for brain tumors.